To produce fluids (such as hydrocarbons) through a well, various equipment are deployed into the well. Examples of such equipment include completion equipment such as casing, production tubing, and other equipment. Once installed in the well, the equipment allows for production of fluids from a reservoir surrounding the well to the surface.
Certain wells have insufficient reservoir pressure to propel fluids to the surface. A reservoir with a relatively low pressure may not be able to produce sufficient fluid flow to overcome various opposing forces, including forces applied by the back pressure of a column of water, frictional forces of conduits, and other forces. To produce fluids from reservoirs having limited reservoir pressures, artificial lift equipment can be deployed. Examples of artificial lift equipment include pumps such as electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) or other types of pumps.
Installing an ESP or other type of intervention equipment into a well can be time consuming and expensive. This is particularly the case with subsea wells, since well operators would have to transport the intervention equipment by marine vessels to the subsea well sites. Subsea well operators are often reluctant to perform ESP installation in subsea wells due to the cost of installation, and also due to the possibility that failed ESP equipment may have to be retrieved and replaced with replacement ESP equipment.